Shang vs the Law
by Lady1Venus
Summary: What was on Shang's mind when he saved Mulan's life?


Shang vs. the Law

**Author's Notes****: What was the reason Shang saved Mulan's life? What was going through Shang's mind when Mulan was telling him about why she was in the army?  I don't own any characters of Mulan. They belong to Disney.**

****

Shang watched the doctor come out of the tent.  The doctor signaled for his captain to come closer.  Shang had to bend a little to hear what the man was saying.  From what the man said, it started Shang.  Shang went into the tent to find Mulan/Ping lying on a makeshift bed.

She looked up at him and faintly smiled.  Not realizing her state of dress, she sat up, allowing the blanket to fall to her lap.  Shang's eyes widened in disbelief, his saw bandage wrapped high on her chest and he could see the faint lines of breasts under it.

_A woman_, he thought.  _Now I understand.  But, why?  Why did a woman risk everything just to be killed for treason?_

"I can explain," Mulan said.  She looked past Shang and saw Chi-fu walk in.

"So it's true!" he gasped.

Mulan watched Shang walk out the tent followed by Chi-fu and Mulan.

"I knew there was something wrong with you," Chi-fu said.  He grabbed Mulan's hair tie.  "A woman!  Treacherous snake!"  He pushed her to the snow covered ground.

"My name is Mulan!" Mulan declared her name.

"High Treason!"

"I didn't mean for it go this far," Mulan rushed on.

Shang thought, _well it did and now you have to be executed._

Chi-fu lowered his head to hiss in her ear.  "Ultimate dishonor!"

_You have dishonored your father the honorable Fa Zhou._ Shang said to himself.

"I did it to save my father.  Please believe me."

Chi-fu stood back to his regular height and walked over to Shang.  "Captain?"

Shang looked over at Chi-fu and then at Mulan.  She knelt on the snow with the blanket tightly wrapped around her.  It was the only think to keep her warm.  Small parts of the bandage showed through the blanket.  Now he was able to piece together why Ping didn't really act like a man in the first week of training.

Shang did marvel her strength.  The words she said about saving her father stung his mind.  It kept reminding him of his father, who now lies dead, in sea of bodies and blood.  _But I have no choice_ he thought to himself.  _I have to execute her.  She deceived the Chinese Army.  But she saved my life and destroyed the Huns by firing the last canon at the mountain, causing the avalanche._

Still looking at Chi-fu, he could tell that Chi-fu wanted him to do something.

Without looking at Mulan again, he turned to her horse and unsheathed her sword.  Shang could hear her horse neighing wanting to stop but Chi-fu told a soldier to restrain him.  He seen Yoa, Chein Po and Ling try to go up to him but Chi-fu stopped them by saying that they knew the law.

Shang stared right at Mulan with angered eyes.  She looked into his eyes and then bowed her head in bravery.

That damn law!  She doesn't really deserve to die.  She wanted to protect her father from entering the war.  Fa Zhou shouldn't have been ordered into battle anyway and none of this would have happened.  She saved my life.  Wait a second.  She saved my life and I could go and say I saved her life.

Before anyone could stop Shang, he raised the sword high above his head only to drop it in the snow in front of Mulan.  She lifted her head to Shang.

"A life for a life.  My debt has been repaid," he said coldly.  Shang turned and started heading towards his white stallion.  "Move out!"

He walked past Chi-fu as he tried to make a protest.  Shang turned and grabbed the scrawny man's shirt collar.  "I said move out."  Shang released the man and climbed up on his horse.  The others gathered their belongings and started heading towards the path of the mountain that would lead them to the Imperial City.

Shang was the last to leave.  He took one look at Mulan as she bowed her head in the snow.  _At least you are still alive.  It was the only way to protect you from the law._

Shang turned and headed down the mountain.

****

When the army arrived in the city, everyone was rejoicing.  There was a parade in their honor.  Shang on his stallion didn't feel like celebrating.  The one person that should be involved in this honorable parade was left in mountains.  She was the one who saved China from the Huns.  Shang knew that Mulan's newly friends were also feeling the same way he did.  But he had more remorse from the death of his father.

Behind him, Shang heard a neighing of a horse.  The sound sounded familiar but why would she come to the city.  But before he knew it, she was calling his name and was trotting along side him.

"Mulan?!"

"The Huns are alive.  The're in the city."

"You don't belong here Mulan. Go home."

"But Shang you have to believe me."

"Why should I?"  He hissed in a quiet tone. He stared right at her, with narrow eyes.  Mulan moved her horse to right in front of Shang's path.  He had to stop his horse.

"Why else would I come?  You said you trusted Ping why is Mulan any different?"

_Because you are a woman and women are not suppose to speak unless spoken to._  Shang maneuvered his horse so that he was able to walk by her.  As he walked by, he heard her say to the other three that she knew they were in the city and to be careful.  Then she was gone.

Shang continued his march through the city.  When he reached the steps to the Palace, he unmounted his horse and continued holding Shan Yu's sword in hand.  Once he got up to near the top, the Emperor greeted him.

"Your majesty, I give you the sword of Shan Yu," Shang said handing the sword to the Emperor.

"I know what this means to you.  Your father would have been proud."  Before the Emperor could take a hold of the sword an eagle swooped down and snatched the sword.

What the hell?  Was Mulan right that some of the Huns are still alive?  Shang reached for his sword but didn't unsheathe it.  He was waiting to see where the eagle was going.  Near the top of the towers, the eagle dropped the sword and a huge, strong hand grasped the sword.  Damn!  She was right!

Shang started to unsheathe his sword when the dragon behind him was shredded and he was pushed to the ground the remaining Huns were in the dragon.  Two of the Huns grabbed the Emperor and took him inside his Palace.

"NO!!!!" Shang yelled.  He ran to the door but was too late.  He heard an evil laugh and looked up to see Shun Yu laughing at him, and then Shun Yu was gone.  

Beside the gang of three gathered.  Chien Po looked around for anything big.  He found a huge statue that stood by the doors.  He started pulling the statue down and the rest of the troops followed suit.  Once the statue was done, the men started slamming it against the door, trying to bust it open.

Behind him, Shang heard a whistle.  He turned, as did the others to see that Mulan was the one who whistled at them.

"Hey, guys!" Mulan shouted.  "I have an idea."  She ran off around the corner of the Palace.

The gang of three looked at each other.  They dropped the statue and ran after her.  Shang was left.  What are they doing?  Actually what is she doing?  Enough of this!  I'm not going to stand around and watch the Emperor die, if Mulan has a plan, that's good enough for me.

Shang ran after the trio.  When he turned the corner, he saw Mulan dressed in a dress and the gang also wearing dresses.  Mulan and the three men in dresses were in front of pillars, with sashes around it to climb up.  I get it.  She's going as concubines to distract the Huns.

He walked up to Mulan and touched her shoulder.  The touch shocked her and she turned to see her captain smiling at her.  He uncapped his cape and wrapped it around another pillar.  She smiled at him.

****

**(AN: Skip the part from when they get to the top until Mulan allows Shun Yu to discover that she is the "The Soldier from the Mountains".)**

Shang was sitting on the floor, trying to grasp at what just happened.  Shun Yu had his sword pointing at the captain until Mulan revealed herself as the one who started the avalanche.  Shun Yu dropped Shang and ran after Mulan.  Within minutes he heard fireworks going off.  He got up from his position and ran outside.  When he got outside, he heard cheers and saw the fireworks.

Before he could reach one of the platforms on the steps to the Palace, he was smacked in the back by something hard.  He fell to the floor of the platform.  Once he regained his strength from the fall, he looked to his right to see that Mulan was now lying beside him.  She hit him in the back.  He heard a clank to his left and saw Shun Yu's sword.  She destroyed Shun Yu he thought.  He looked around to see the mess of the Palace and realized how she hit him.  He looked out towards the city and saw the gang of three running towards him and Mulan.

I saved her life and she saves all of China.  I hope the Emperor sees that. Shang thought to himself.  As he thought of the Emperor, he heard Chi fu.  But as Chi fu was ranting, Shang grabbed the counsel's collar.

"That is enough!" The Emperor said as he descended the stairs.

"Your majesty, I can explain," Shang said.

The Emperor held up his hand and Shang moved out of the way to reveal Mulan.  Mulan went up to the Emperor and bowed.  "I've heard a great deal about you Fa Mulan.  You stole your father's armor, ran away from home, impersonated a soldier, deceived your commanding officer…" For the moment Shang stood straighter.  Yes, but she saved China Shang thought.

"Dishonored the Chinese Army, destroyed my Palace! And!" the Emperor's voice lowered "You have saved us all."

Mulan looked at her king as he bowed to her. Chi fu wasn't long bowing either.  Mulan turned to see Shang and the others bow as well. When Shang was on the floor, the whole city bowed to Mulan.  When the Emperor stood back to his full height, he looked to Chi fu.  "Chi fu."

"Yes, your excellency?"

"See to it that this woman is made a member of my councilmen."

"There are no council positions left your majesty," Chi fu said.  He was trying his hardest to not be around her.

"Every well.  You can have his job."

"My jo…" Chi fu doubled over and fainted.

"With all do respect your majesty.  I think I've been away from home long enough," Mulan said.

Shang looked at her in shock.  She's declining the Emperor's offer!

"Then take this, so your family will know what you have done for me."  The Emperor removed a pendant from around his neck and placed over Mulan's neck.  "And this," the Emperor held up Shun Yu's sword and handed it to Mulan.  "So the world will know what you have done for China."

Mulan looked at the Emperor and quickly jumped up and hugged him.  As she hugged him she could hear Yoa asking if she was allowed to do that.

Shang shrugged his shoulders, I have no idea but I wish I could hug her.

When Mulan released the Emperor she turned to see her new friends coming up to her to hug her.  She accept their hug full heartily.  When they released her, she walked over to Shang.

"You…you fight good," he said.  Why did I just do that?  He patted her shoulder.

"Oh…Thank you."  She walked away from him and climbed on her horse's back.  "Khan, let's go home."  As she turned her horse towards the crowd and galloped off down the steps the whole city started cheering.

Shang watched as she left.

"A flower that blooms into adversity, is rarely the most beautiful flower of all."

Shang looked up to see the Emperor standing beside him.  "Sir?"

"You don't meet a girl like that every dynasty."  The Emperor gave him a stern look and walked back up the steps, leaving Shang.

Shang looked back to where Mulan left and faintly smiled.  Did I just hear him correctly?  He's giving me permission to go after her.

****

**(AN: Shang enters the Fa Family home)**

"Excuse me," Shang said as he entered the house that he believed was Fa Mulan's.  Two older women looked at him with shocked eyes.  "Does Fa Mulan live here?"  Both women pointed towards inside a garden.  "Thank you."

Shang heard the old woman say something but he ignored her.  Upon entering the garden he saw Mulan's father.  "Honorable Fa Zhou."  Suddenly a small rounded face appeared from behind the elder man.  "Ah…Mulan.  You forgot your helmet," he said showing the helmet to her.  "Or actually your helmet isn't…I mean…"

Mulan and her father exchanged glances and Mulan moved closer to Shang.  "Would like to stay for dinner?"

Shang looked into Mulan's eyes at the invitation.

"Would you like to stay forever?" Mulan's grandmother said.  Mulan and Shang both turned to the old woman.

Out of the corner of his eye, Shang could see Mulan faintly smiling and shaking her head.  He turned back to Mulan, "Dinner would be great."  Now, I'll see what the real 'Ping' is like.


End file.
